Biology:Leucocoprinus elaeidis
| Leucocoprinus elaeidis | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Basidiomycota |
| Class: | Agaricomycetes |
| Order: | Agaricales |
| Family: | Agaricaceae |
| Genus: | Leucocoprinus |
| Species: | L. elaeidis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Leucocoprinus elaeidis (Beeli) Heinem. (1977)
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
Lepiota elaeidis Beeli (1927) | |
| Leucocoprinus elaeidis | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | gills on hymenium |
 | cap is campanulate or umbonate |
 | hymenium is free |
 | stipe has a ring |
 | spore print is white |
 | ecology is saprotrophic |
 | edibility: unknown |
Leucocoprinus elaeidis (or elaidis) is a species of mushroom-producing producing fungus in the family Agaricaceae.[1][2] In the local language, it is commonly known as elela.[3]
Taxonomy
It was first described in 1927 by the Belgian mycologist Maurice Beeli who classified it as Lepiota elaeidis or (elaidis),[3] whilst illustrations of the mushrooms were produced by Mme M. Goossens-Fontana.[4]
In 1977 it was reclassified by the Belgian mycologist Paul Heinemann who classified it as Leucocoprinus elaeidis.[5]
Description
Leucocoprinus elaeidis is a dapperling mushroom with thin white flesh and stem flesh that may stain yellow.
Cap: 7-12cm wide with thin 2mm thick flesh. The cap is a fluffy white and coated in white flakes or scales whilst the umbo or centre disc is sometimes tinged brown or yellowish. It starts bulbous and cylindrical before expanding to campanulate (bell shaped) and flattening further with age making the umbo more pronounced. There are slight striations at the cap edges. Gills: Free with a collar, crowded and white but yellowing when damaged. Stem: 7-9cm long and 8-12mm thick, expanding at the base to 15-20mm. The stem is hollow and easily detaches from the cap. White and smooth above the stem ring and scaly or flaky white below but staining yellow when touched or damaged. The movable stem ring is white and fluffy at the edges and is located towards the top of the cap (superior or apical). Spore print: White. Spores: Amygdaliform. 8.5-11 x 5.3-7.4 μm. Smell: Pleasant. Taste: Pleasant. When dry the mushroom develops an ochre colour whilst the gills discolour yellowish.[4][3]
Habitat and distribution
L. elaeidis is scarcely recorded and little known. It grows on the ground and in grass near elaeis, coffee and eucalyptus trees and is sometimes found on rotten wood or compost.[4]
The specimens studied by Beeli were found in groups in the grass at the foot of Elaeis oil palms in the Eala region of the Zaïre (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo).[3] They were also found near lake Edward and lake Kivu to the North East of the country[4] and have been observed in Mali[6] and Senegal.[7]
Similar species
The description and illustrations[4] of L. elaeidis suggest that the species is superficially similar to Leucocoprinus cretaceous or Leucocoprinus cepistipes but it is distinguished from them by the presence of yellow bruising.
References
- ↑ "Species Fungorum - Leucocoprinus elaeidis (Beeli) Heinem., Bull. Jard. Bot. natn. Belg. 47(1-2): 84 (1977)". http://www.speciesfungorum.org/Names/GSDSpecies.asp?RecordID=316821.
- ↑ "Mycobank Database - Leucocoprinus elaeidis". https://www.mycobank.org/page/Name%20details%20page/name/Leucocoprinus%20elaeidis.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Beeli, M. (1927). "Contribution a L'étude de la Flore Mycologique du Congo: II". Bulletin de la Société Royale de Botanique de Belgique / Bulletin van de Koninklijke Belgische Botanische Vereniging 59 (2): 101–112. ISSN 0037-9557. https://www.jstor.org/stable/20791494.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 "Fungus Flora of Tropical Africa - Flore des Champignons d'Afrique Tropicale" (in fr-FR). https://www.ffta-online.org/ficac5/.
- ↑ Heinemann, P. (1977). "Leucocoprinées nouvelles d'Afrique centrale II". Bulletin du Jardin botanique national de Belgique / Bulletin van de National Plantentuin van België 47 (1/2): 83–86. doi:10.2307/3667983. ISSN 0303-9153. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3667983.
- ↑ "Botanical Collections - Leucocoprinus elaeidis (Beeli) Heinem.". https://www.botanicalcollections.be/specimen/BR5020006432303.
- ↑ "Botanical Collections - Leucocoprinus elaeidis (Beeli) Heinem.". https://www.botanicalcollections.be/specimen/BR5020003181778.
Wikidata ☰ Q107989986 entry Wikidata ☰ Q105057949 entry
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